Surgical suture extractor



March 12, 1968v c. B. HOPPE 3,372,477

SURGICAL SUTURE EXTRAGTOR Filed Dec. 15, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CLEMENS a HOPPE ATTORNEYS March 12, 1968 C. B. HOPPE SURGICAL SUTURE EXTRACTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

Filed Dec. 15, 1966 FIG. 3

INVENTOR CLEMENS B. HOPPE BY QM, f%l4/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,372,477 SURGICAL SUTURE EXTRACTOR Clemens B. Hoppe, P.0. Box 590,

Palm Beach, Fla. 33480 Continuatiomin-part of application Ser. No. 406,861, Oct. 27, 1964. This application Dec. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 601,966

5 Claims. (Cl. 30-424) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An instrument for severing sutures and substantially simultaneously gripping the cut-off thread or stitch so that it can be cut off and removed in a single motion of the surgeons hand.

Cross reference to related applications This is a continuation-in-part of iapplicants copending application Ser. No. 406,861 filed Oct. 27, 1964, now Patent No. 3,328,876, granted July' 4, 1967, Surgical Suture Extractor.

Background of the invention (1) Field of the invention.

Surgical Instruments (2) Description of the prior art.

The following patents have been cited in the above application: 605,400, 6/1898, Crockett; 2,819,521, 1/1958, Parker; 3,054,182, 9/1962, Whitton, Ir.

Of these, Whitt-on, Jr. is the only one which is in the surgical instrument field. This device has a pair of hinged blades, one having a tapered probe extending from its outer end for engaging beneath successive stitches. It does not includes means for gripping a cut-off portion of the stitch or suture. Parker shows a device for self haircut which includes a shears actuated by the index and middle fingers. Crockett shows a cutter for fruit, flowers, etc., which grips and holds the cut-off portion.

Summary of the invention The instrument comprises a single slender, elongated arm adapted to be grasped by the hand and having a formation at its outer end to be inserted beneath a suture, together with a sleeve member mounted to slide on the arm, the sleeve carrying a knife at its outer end for severing the suture which is held by the formation, means being provided for engaging and holding the portion of the suture, which is being cut oil. The portion of the arm which extends beyond the sleeve forms a handle by which the device is manipulated, and the sleeve is arranged to slide forward and sever the suture under the pressure of the thumb.

The outer portion of the arm on which the sleeve slides is square or polygonal in cross section to provide a flat surface for the knife to advance along at the portion of the formation where the suture is severed. Advantageously the formation is in the form of a hook having a sharp edge which is aimed or pointed in the lateral direction and the bottom of the notch forming the hook is disposed adjacent the edge of the hook.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 corresponds to FIG. 27 of the pending application and is a side view of the instrument with the movable part or sleeve shown in section;

FIG. 2 corresponds to FIG. 28 of said application and is a view looking from the left of FIG. 1 and with the sleeve broken away and shown in section;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a slightly modified form of the instrument shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 3 corresponding to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 corresponding to FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the suture extracting device is in the form of a long slender arm which is made in two sections, :an outer section 61 which is square in cross section and a rod-like section 62 constituting the handle. At the outer end of square section 61 there is a recess forming a hook portion 63 having a rounded end portion 64 when viewed from the side and in line with the suture to be extracted. Jaw 63 has a side extension 65 on one side to be referred to presently.

The knife 66 is formed as a projection on the outer end of a short tubular member 67 which is arranged to slide on the exterior square surface of the outer section 61. Tubular member 67 and its knife 66 are slidingly actuated by means of an operating tube 68 which also slides on the outer square surface of section 61. The two parts are connected together by a joint 69 and a sleeve 70 so that a disposable knife 66 can be used if desired.

The opposite end 71 of tubular member 68 is closed as indicated and within this tube there is a coil compression spring 72 which surrounds the rod-like section 62 of the device. Spring 72 is a retracting spring and serves to urge the operating tube 68 towards the butt end of the device and against a stop pin 73..

In operating this device the rod-like section 62 is grasped with the hand and the hook 63 is engaged beneath the suture, this form of the device being particularly useful when the suture is in a deep location. After engaging the suture thumb pressure is employed to slide the tubular member 68 forward thus carrying knife 66 into cutting engagement with the suture and immediately thereafter closing the rear portion of the shoulder 74 formed on the inner end of knife holder 67 against the upper surface of suture portion 7 to be removed, pressing it against the upper edge of side extension 65 thereby gripping the suture and enabling it to be removed.

Now referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the instrument here illustrated is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a few exceptions, and the general description with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 applies, the same reference numerals having been added to the two new figures.

One of the changes in construction is that the lateral dimensions of outer section 61 and the tubular member 67 sliding thereon, as well as the operating tube 68 are somewhat smaller. A second feature is the change in the formation of the hook portion. Instead of the long hook portion 63, hook portion 63a extends only a short distance beyond the bottom of the slot of the hook Within which the suture 9 rests when the instrument has been applied thereto. Also hook portion 63a is provided with a sharp edge portion 75 which is pointed or aimed or extended in a lateral direction with respect to the axis of the instrument as shown in FIG. 4, and inwardly of edge 75 there is a sloping portion 76 over which the suture 9 slides as the instrument is applied to it.

It will be understood that with the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as well as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the device or instrument is held in stationary position after the suture has been engaged and received in the slot and during the actuation of the sliding member to cut the suture. Thereafter the instrument is disengaged from the remaining portion of the suture and removed carrying the severed portion of the suture with it.

Another feature of the device as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is the provision of a thumb seat 77 on the outer surface of operating sleeve 68 by which the sleeve and knife 66 can be slid forward by the thumb to sever the suture while the handle portion 62 of the instrument is being grasped by the surgeons hand.

It will be understood that the dot and dash lines shown in FIG. 3 indicate the position of sleeve 67 and knife 66 after suture 9 has been severed. At this point the suture portion 7 which is to be removed is gripped between shoulder 74 on sleeve 67 and side extension 65a on the side of hook portion 63a.

I claim:

1. An instrument for removing sutures comprising a slender elongated arm adapted to be grasped by the hand and having a lateral slot at its outer end for engaging and holding a suture, a sleeve slidable lengthwise on said arm, an extension removably connected to the outer end of said sleeve, said extension including a knife and a shoulder, and an abutment on the side of the device, said sleeve being operable by the thumb to cause the knife to sever the suture and approximately simultaneously therewith to cause the shoulder to engage the severed portion thereof and press the same against said abutment to support the severed portion.

2. An instrument for removing sutures comprising a slender elongated arm to be grasped by the hand and held stationary after engaging the suture, a sliding member mounted for movement lengthwise of the arm and carrying a knife at its outer end, said member being actuable by the hand that grasps the arm, the outer end of said arm having a hook formation extending laterally and terminating in a sharp edge, the hook formation having a slot for receiving the suture to be cut and having a suture engaging abutment on one side thereof, the sliding member having a laterally extending shoulder aligned with said abutment to cooperate therewith in cutting and gripping the severed portion of the suture as the knife severs the same.

3. An instrument according to claim 2, in which the hook formation has appreciable width and also has symmetrical, diverging sides receding from the sharp edge, the inner diverging side intersecting said slot and serving to guide the suture thereto.

4. An instrument for removing sutures comprising a slender elongated arm having an outer section which is polygonal in cross section and an inner section of smaller cross-sectional dimension leaving a shoulder at the junction between the two sections, the outer section having a lateral slot therein for engaging and holding a suture, a polygonal tubular sleeve arranged to slide lengthwise on the surface of the outer polygonal section, said sleeve having a knife at its end for cutting the suture within said slot, said sleeve extending beyond said shoulder and surrounding a portion of the inner arm section, and a helical compression spring surrounding the inner arm section and enclosed by the extension of the tubular sliding member and arranged normally to urge the inner end of the tubular member against a stop, said spring being compressed during the actuation of the sleeve member to severe the suture, and clamping means in part on the outer arm section and in part on the end of said tubular sleeve for gripping and holding the severed portion of the suture.

5. An instrument for removing sutures according to claim 4 in which the outer section of the arm is a round rod-like member, and the stop is a projection extending laterally from the surface thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 460,903 10/1891 Woodward 30--135 2,541,063 2/1951 Hubbard 30134 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,967 1904 Great Britain.

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, Assistant Examiner. 

